Coup is a bluffing game by Indie Boards and Cards set in the Resistance Universe, a dystopian future society.

Image Source: Michelle Anneliese
The game includes 15 character cards, money pieces, and help cards listing the various actions and counteractions. Overall actions that all players, no matter their characters, include taking income, which is one coin, taking foreign aid, which is taking 2 coins, and starting a coup, which is spending 7 coins to kill off one of a player’s characters. The objective of the game is to be the last person with at least one character alive.

Image Source: Michelle Anneliese
The character cards each have different actions that can be done.
CONTESSA: blocks assassinations
DUKE: can take 3 coins and can block another player from taking foreign aid
ASSASSIN: pay 3 coins to assassinate another player’ character of their choice
AMBASSADOR: Exchange your character cards with the deck and can block another player from stealing from you
CAPTAIN: Steals 2 coins from another player and can block stealing
Setup for the game is as follows: all players receive 2 cards, face down. The players can look at their cards to know what their characters actually are, and keep them secret from the rest of the players.

Image Source: Michelle Anneliese
One player at a time will do an action. They can get income (one coin), foreign aid (2 coins), coup another player (pay 7 coins), or complete character specific actions, such as assassinate, steal, and tax. Other players can block actions based on their character. Here is where the game gets interesting.
This game is about bluffing, so players can do the actions of characters they do not have. For example, if my two character cards are both assassins, but I want 3 coins, I can claim to be the Duke and take the 3 coins. Unless another player questions if I am actually the Duke, I can go unnoticed. But if a player questions my Duke-dom, I have to return the coins because I am not actually the Duke.
When performing a Coup, the player paying the 7 coins chooses a player to lose one character.This character is discarded face up, and no replacement is drawn. Assassination’s perform the same way, except they can be blocked by a Contessa, while no one can block a Coup.

Image Source: Wil Wheaton
Coup is a very fun game when playing with more than two people. And the less you know the people you are playing with, the more interesting the game gets. It is a quick game to play, so if you don’t want a long RPG or Co-Op, this is a great game to pull out and setup in a short period of time.

Image Source: Michelle Anneliese
Coup also has an expansion pack called Coup Reformation, which expands the amount of players that can play, adds a character, and adds additional mechanics such as a treasury.

Image Source: Michelle Anneliese
I highly suggest you buy this game, and other games, from local game stores, but Amazon is always an option.
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[…] is great for Cancer since they can quickly sort out who is lying and who isn’t. Games like Coup, The Resistance, and One Night Ultimate Werewolf are games Cancer will excel […]
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[…] Coup is all about keeping secrets and deceiving the other players around you. Only the most deceptive will succeed at Coup, and Slytherins have an advantage with this. […]
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Oh — this could make a fun Christmas gift for some people I know. Thanks for the review.
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How much do I love this game! We play it all the time, tho I am the worst liar ever. I always get called out. I recommend it to so many people and will have it at the reception of my wedding for the kids to play.
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I love coup!! It’s one of those great introductory card games for meeting new people who don’t play games. Though I do prefer the addition of the expansion, adds another element.
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I have not played with the expansion yet, but definitely want to try it
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The expansion to Coup is also really good, as it adds in some new elements. It changes the ambassador to the inquisitor who can look at someone else’s card. It also has teams – you can’t steal from or assasinate someone on your side, but you can choose to swop someone’s team so can make people victims of coups when other players get close to 10 coins etc.
That probably doesn’t explain it too well – but it’s worth a play if you’re a fan of the original 🙂
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I have the expansion but have yet to play it! Hopefully I will get to soon
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